NFL Hall of Fame player Deion Sanders has recently undergone a hair transplant. He has not been shy about discussing it publicly and over the last several weeks has actually continued to put out a slew of hilarious and outrageous posts pertaining to his renewed follicles. For his first announcement to social media, he posted this jubilant and priceless video to his Instagram: Many pharmaceutical companies and researchers are in the search for a hair loss cure. This is because 7 out of 10 men and 4 out of 10 women suffer from androgenic alopecia (genetically caused hair loss) in their lifetime. In the United States that amounts to around 80 million men and 40 million women currently suffering from hair loss. Of course, a permanent cure would relieve a huge percentage of the population.
Sadick suggests avoiding “products with dyes and preservatives, like parabens and synthetic fragrances.” Ingredients that thicken the hair include amino acids, biotin, ginseng root, and menthol or peppermint oil — these are what you want to look for. “Amino acids provide the building blocks to build new strands, while biotin, part of the B-vitamin complex, is required by hair to metabolize amino acids and can help strengthen hair,” Sadick says. “Antioxidants such as vitamin E and ginseng are beneficial to promote hair growth because they reduce free radicals from sun, stress, or overprocessing and have anti-inflammatory properties.” Last but not least are the botanicals, which are great as they are rich in antioxidants and other compounds that stimulate blood flow and promote hair growth.

Things get interesting when we discover a patent which was filed by Sangamo in May 2017 titled “Targeted Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia.” As with virtually all patents, the lengthy text of the patent is difficult to read or to create a concise summary from. An intriguing aspect of this news is Sangamo works in several technology spaces, including previously mentioned genome editing and gene therapy, either would make an advanced type of hair growth therapy we have never seen before. One caveat to mention is the company’s pipeline does not currently display any indication for alopecia, meaning the therapy is not fully developed yet, so it will be some time before trials begin. We certainly hope to hear more from Sangamo Therapeutics as soon as possible about their interesting development for hair growth technology.

Biotin – Naturally found in many of the rich protein foods you eat including nuts, meats, eggs, etc. Biotin (or simply known as Vitamin B7) has been found in many studies to be linked directly to hair growth. Not only are men using this same vitamin to growth thicker beards, but Biotin is also prevalent in many of the leading natural hair loss shampoos on the market as you will see in just a minute. If you are going all-natural root, this ingredient should most definitely be included in the product you select.

DS Laboratories have covered all the bases with this shampoo, circulation, cleansing action, and anti-DHT properties. It starts acting on the first day of use but most users of the shampoo start to see results after about 4-6 months of use. When you wash with the shampoo, you leave it on the scalp for about 2 minutes before rinsing to allow you scalp to absorb all the ingredients. For the best results, DS Laboratories suggest using Revita at least 5 times per week.

Finally, if these tests come back normal, your dermatologist may suggest a scalp biopsy of a couple of two-millimeter sections taken from your scalp under local anesthesia ($400 and up). It can determine whether genetic hair loss, telogen effluvium (a condition in which hair falls out from stress or rapid weight gain), or a disease (such as lupus) is the cause of your shedding, and your dermatologist can treat you accordingly. Hair loss shampoo probably won’t help you defeat hair loss on its own, but it certainly should be used as another weapon in your arsenal. Many of these products do contain ingredients that are beneficial for hair loss and scalp health—every little bit helps. Let’s face it, you have to wash your hair with something and that something might as well aid in hair loss prevention.

For those of you who only check the Updates page, there was a new Brotzu Check-In article published yesterday. Giovanni Brotzu will be presenting data pertaining to his lotion’s use in androgenetic alopecia at an Italian hair research Congress this Saturday, April 14th. We hope to see photo results from the presentation. Check back to the Brotzu article next week for updates.

A clinician diagnoses female pattern hair loss by taking a medical history and examining the scalp. She or he will observe the pattern of hair loss, check for signs of inflammation or infection, and possibly order blood tests to investigate other possible causes of hair loss, including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and iron deficiency. Unless there are signs of excess androgen activity (such as menstrual irregularities, acne, and unwanted hair growth), a hormonal evaluation is usually unnecessary. But you must start these medical therapies before you lose all your hair. McAndrews likens it to brushing your teeth, in that both are preventative measures. “The sooner you start doing it, the better at slowing down this aging process,” he explains, adding, “Is toothpaste perfect? No, you’re still getting tooth decay with toothpaste, but you’re slowing down tooth decay.”
In-office laser light treatments or at-home handheld devices, such as the HairMax LaserComb, supposedly grow new hair by stimulating blood flow to the area (think: an amped-up version of a scalp-stimulating shampoo). Just don’t expect the device to make your noggin go from looking like George Costanza’s to Jerry Seinfeld’s. “These lasers won’t grow any new hair. If anything, they may just help you hang on to some of the hair that you already have a bit longer,” says Dr. Joyce.
Managing hair loss is just as important as treating it. Now that we've talked about the different treatment options and cures available to reverse hair loss and promote increased growth, let's talk about how you can manage your condition and at the same time prevent further hair loss. The first is more psychological, while the second is more practical. Hair concealers and hair fibers. These are one of the newest cosmetic answers to hair loss. As the name suggests, these products are applied on the scalp or hair to camouflage hair loss and give the appearance of fullness to thinning hair. Some of these are applied directly on the scalp, while others (hair fibers) are attached to the hair, much like hair extensions, to add volume.
While there can be numerous reasons behind the thinning of your hair, including certain hairstyles, excessive chemical processes, hereditary factors, and nutritional deficiencies, the most common is aging. But why does hair become thin as we age? Well, as we get older so do our hair follicles. With age, the size of hair follicles begins to shrink, meaning the rate of hair growth begins to slow down and, in some cases, ceases completely. Another reason for thinning hair lies in the production (or lack thereof) of estrogen as we age. Aside from regulating the reproductive system, estrogen plays a big part in hair growth. So, when we begin to produce less estrogen, there's less available to stimulate new hair growth (especially after old hair has shed), ultimately resulting in thin hair.